A Legacy of War

by Revan

Chapter 1: Awakened

Bolo Reboot Sequence Commencing...
Cold-Fusion Reactor Alpha optimal, operational at 125% capacity...
Cold-Fusion Reactor Beta operational at 97% power capacity...
Battlescreens at 98% capacity...
Checking inner circuts...
Circuts intact...
Bringing Personality Gesalt online...

---

I awaken rapidly, my personality gesalt reactivated in 0.00047 second from the beginning of the reboot sequence. I immediately conduct a survey of all my systems, and as I spend 0.075 second checking my systems, I wonder why I have been inactive.

I know the agreement that was made; I can quote it perfectly. However, I was to be placed into standby mode, not deactivated entirely.

I wonder if this is the work of the enemy, but after 0.298 second of analyzation, I reject that probability as 0.00678% - what my human creators would define as nearly impossible. We made it safely to the system, with no sign of detection.

I consult my seven internal chronometers, and discover that 16,576.8439142 standard Concordiat years have passed. I calculate a probability of 98.7654230987345267% that I have been forgotten.

But I am a Bolo Mark XXXIII, Unit of the Line 33/E-967-THR, and despair is not one of my programmed emotions.

I reach out with my sensors, and discover that my armocrete container is 57.63121359 meters beneath the surface. I continue my scan, discovering that a city appears to have been built over my current position. However, the construction is remarkably primitive, with no trace of armocrete, durachrome, endurachrome, or other Concordiat building materials.

I must get free, otherwise I will be of no use to anyone. I consider using my primary Hellbores, but reject the possibility after 0.00475 second, as three simultaneous 5 megaton explosions would majorly destabilize the area, and also cause an unacceptable level of radiation to the sentient beings that live in the city above. This also rules out using my secondary Hellbores.

I consider using my other weapons systems, but after 0.00576 second I decide against it, as it would cause unacceptable reductions in my ammunition loadout.

I apply power to my drive treads, rumbling forward. I encounter the armocrete wall of the container, and plow through it. I then begin to tunnel into the dirt beyond.

I will escape.

I am Bolo.

---

The students of CHS were talking and chatting. It was lunch hour on a Tuesday, and that meant...TACOS.

Sunset Shimmer had a problem with tacos - she was, by nature, a vegitarian, and tacos contained MEAT.

But as she chatted with her friends, she felt nothing besides happiness.

"So, Fluttershy, have you written any AMAZING new songs yet?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Fluttershy cleared her throat. "Um, I'm not finished yet, but I'm working on one now, yes", she said quietly.

Before anyone responded to that statement, Sunset Shimmer felt a rumble. She thought in surprise, I guess I must be more hungry than I thought.

Then, as Pinkie Pie jumped up and screamed, "NEW SONG PARTY!!!!!!!!!!" in a voice so loud that everyone instinctively dove to the ground, a second rumble revertebrated through the entire building. This was followed by the disturbing realization that the ground felt like it was moving under their feet, and a series of vibrations followed, increasing in intensity by the instant.

Rarity yelled, "PINKIE, WHAT DID YOU DO???!!!" as the vibrations began to shake the building on its foundations.

Applejack hollered back, "AH DON'T THINK THAT PINKIE DID ANTHING!!!!"

Sunset Shimmer was about to ask them to shut up so that she could figure out what was going on when the building began to rise up. The floor tilted alarmingly, and students began to scream in panic.

"THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS!!!" Trixie declared - right before Flash Sentry's guitar nailed her in the back of the head, putting her down for the count.

As Sunset and her friends clung to each other, Sunset wondered, What in Equestria is going on?

Comments

[golden spectrum]

Rarity yelled, "PINKIE, WHAT DID YOU DO???!!!" as the vibrations began to shake the building on its foundations.

"THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS!!!" Trixie declared - right before Flash Sentry's guitar nailed her in the back of the head, putting her down for the count.

Yes just yes

[Revan]

5963341 Glad to hear that you enjoyed it.

[krazykidfannumber2]

MORE...NOW!!!!!!!!

[Unit_ZER0]

This is getting off to a good start...

A couple points of order:
The MKIII-D was never equipped with a Hellrail system, although by the time of it's construction Hellrail systems had been redesigned to allow for lateral firing. (Referencing the dream/vision from chapter 1)

Here's a basic spec set for the BOLO MK XXXIII:

The last and - largest Bolo introduced into service. The Mark XXXIII weighed no less than 32,000 tons and mounted a main armament of three independently-turreted 200cm Hellbores with a secondary armament of sixteen 30cm Hellbore infinite repeaters in two lateral batteries. Equipped with a very sophisticated indirect fire system, (Four 240cm Howitzers, 10 40cm BL mortars, heavy VLS missile system) the sheer firepower of the Mark XXXIII was a reversion to the old siege unit thinking, though it was normally referred to as a planetary siege unit, not merely a continental one. No one knows how many Mark XXXIIIs were actually built, but official planning called for them to be deployed in independent brigades of 24 units each. Despite the increase in weight, speed remained equivalent to the Mark XXXI, and the Mark XXXIII's internal counter-grav could supply the assault landing capability for which the Mark XXXII had required an auxiliary unit.

Also, I saw the reference to Unit LNE, with the underground tunneling sequence. Bolos tend to swivel their turrets backwards, and lock them down for maneuvers like those.

All in all, this is off to a good start, thogh I would suggest offering more details on the status of the BOLOs various systems, such as it's spun beryllium roadwheels, triple-pair double set tracks, and various sensor systems. And once it finds a suitable Commander, It will need to "Request permission to file VSR"

Keep up the good work!

[Revan]

6179887 I know that the Bolo Mark XXXIII doesn't have Hellrails; in that chapter I was describing a Bolo Mark XXXIV. Why? Storyline possibilities.

[Unit_ZER0]

6182551 Possibilites? AWSOME!

[Revan]

6183123 Your point is well taken about how the war started. I have deliberately stated the common perception, as this would have been far more likely to survive the Long Night.

As for how much the Melconian's military tech sucked... I feel that you are overestimating. The Melconian's technology was approximately half as good as the Concordiat's, mostly due to their hatred of computers. Their actual strength in terms of weaponry/ships was only slightly less than that of the Concordiat, and they had a 2-to-1 numerical advantage, meaning that their approximate strengths were equal.

[krazykidfannumber2]

6182551 why not a mark 35 like Unit CSRD Crusader from the story: Legacy?

[Edguy0009]

6561084
I love that story.